Thirteen Reasons Why
by Alexandra Shinai
Summary: Jade disappears, and no one knows why. All of a sudden, seven tapes begin circulating their way throughout Hollywood Arts. This is Jade's story. Heavily based off of Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Rating may change.
1. Chapter 1

**This story is heavily based on the book Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. If you haven't read it, at least look it up so you can get a summary of it before you read this. I'm not telling you anything about it, but as I said, this story is heavily based on it.**

**Beck's POV**

I stare awkwardly at the package that was dropped off at the front door to the RV. Normally, any packages would be dropped off at the door to the house. But not this time, I suppose.

It's about the size of a shoebox, wrapped with brown paper. The wrapping has a hurried send address; addressed to me, Beck Oliver, but there isn't a return address. I pick it up and head into the RV, setting it down on the couch before I sit down. I cut the wrapping open and lift the lid off the shoebox. Inside the box is a loose roll of bubblewrap. I unroll it slowly, only to find seven unpackaged audiotapes.

Each one has a black number painted in the upper right-hand corner, presumably with black nail polish. _Jade's favorite color, _I think. _Black. _Each side of the tapes have their own number. One and two on the first tape, three and four on the next, and so on. The last tape has a thirteen on one side, but nothing on the back. I reach for my old stereo that's sitting on the table next to the couch. Cautiously, I pop the first tape in.

_Hello, boys and girls. Jade West here, live and in stereo. Remember me?_

I'm stunned. Jade was gone. Just the name brings back pain.

_No return engagements. No encore. And this time, absolutely no requests._

I'm silent, just listening to the tapes. Why did Jade make these? Why did I get these?

_I hope you're ready, because I'm about to tell you the story of my life. More specifically, why my life ended. And if you're listening to these tapes, you're one of the reasons why. I'm not saying which tape brings you into the story. But fear not, if you received this lovely little box, your name will pop up... I promise._

I hit Stop, shocked and scared. A bead of sweat is on my forehead.

How could I be part of the reason why she.. I don't need to say it. But how? I did nothing wrong. Nothing wrong whatsoever.

I hit Play, because somehow, I felt like it was necessary for me to listen to all of these.

_Anyways, the rules are pretty simple. There are only two. Rule number one: You listen to all of these tapes. Rule number two: You pass them on. Hopefully, neither one will be easy for you. When you're done listening to all thirteen sides - because there are thirteen sides to every story - rewind the tapes, put them back in the box, and pass them on to whoever follows your little tale. And you, lucky number thirteen, _She laughs. It's a bitter laugh. I wince silently. _you can take the tapes straight to hell. Who knows? Depending on your religion, maybe I'll see you there._

_In case you're tempted to break the rules, understand that I did make a copy of these tapes. Those copies have been released to someone here at Hollywood Arts. They will be released in a very public manner if this package doesn't make it through all of you._

_Don't take me for granted... again. You are being watched._

There's a long pause, and I wonder if I should take the tape out and put it back in. But I decide to wait, seemingly hypnotized by these tragic stories, none of which I've even heard yet.

Finally, she speaks.

_I almost forgot. If you're on my list, you should've received a map._

I had received one, a couple of days before Jade's.. well, you know. I don't want to mention it.

_Throughout the tapes, I'll be mentioning several spots in Los Angeles for you to visit. I can't force you to go there, but if you'd like a little more insight, just head for the stars. Or, if you'd like, just throw the maps away and I'll never know._

As Jade speaks, I'm uncomfortably aware of the map. It's in a desk drawer, and reluctantly, I get up and pull it out, then sit back down while the tape continues to play.

_Or maybe I will. I'm not actually sure how this whole dead thing works. I should be, but I'm not. Who knows, maybe I'm standing behind you right now. _

_The first on this list is..._

There's a long pause, and I sit uncomfortably, anxiously waiting to see when my name comes up, to see if I did any wrong to Jade. I couldn't have. I loved her.

_Tori Vega._


	2. Tori

**Look, an update!**

_Tori, you stole everything from me._

Her voice sounds pained. I wonder dimly where and when she recorded this. We spent almost all of our time together. How could she have recorded these without me knowing?

_You stole my friends. You stole the lead role in every production._

There's a long pause. I wait anxiously. Finally, her voice returns.

_You even stole my boyfriend._

I gasp sharply and squeeze my eyes shut, trying not to remember that night. How Tori came on to me. How hurt Jade was.

_It all started the very day of the showcase. You think I didn't see you stand in for your stupid sister?_

_Well, I did._

_I have to admit, it wasn't.. you know.. that bad._

_But everything got worse for me after your first day of Hollywood Arts._

My memory flicks dimly back to that day. I still remember Tori rubbing her arm all over my shirt and batting her eyes flirtatiously at me. It wasn't that subtle.

_You had your arm all over my boyfriend's chest. His chest belongs to me. Not you. Me._

_And then, during that stupid alphabet improv, you kissed him._

_Since I'm dead now, or will be, anyways, I'll admit that it hurt. Beck was the best thing that ever happened to me._

I feel a warm rush of love for her when she says that. However, it's quickly replaced with a cold, hard realization.

_You stole my best friend from me, too, Tori. You stole Cat._

_Cat, Cat, Cat. Innocent little Cat. How many times did you convince her to sit with you instead of me? How many times did you fill her head with the idea that I was a bitch and you were Little Miss Perfect?_

_Twenty times? Forty? I lost count at sixty._

_Listen up, Tori._

_My parents hated me. My life was terrible. There were three good things in my life._

_Just three._

_And you stole them all from me. You also stole my pride and dignity._

Jade's voice is weak, as if she is about to cry. It's heartbreaking. I feel like I should be the one crying.

_It's too bad you weren't number thirteen. Obviously, you're going to hell anyways. Maybe I'll ask number thirteen to forward these tapes to you in hell._

_By the way, I can blackmail you even though I'm dead._

_Pretty cool, right?_

_You see, I know everything about you, Tori. I did go through your medical records. I have access to them right now, as I speak. I also have access to your birth certificate, police records, school records, whatever. _

_I know everyone's been waiting for this for a long time. T-144 on your map. Tori's house. This is where I blackmailed Tori, without her even knowing it._

_But if you're listening to this now, then you know._

_Standing outside this window by your room, I saw you and Andre have sex._

Frankly, I'm not surprised. I always felt that Jade was into the whole voyeur thing.

_I'll admit, it was kind of hot._

_And I took pictures._

_So if you don't pass these tapes on, these pictures will be released. _

_And they can land you in jail, Tori._

_I'm also going to confess something that only you and I know. So anyone else who's listening, listen up._

There's another long pause. I never knew Jade kept this many secrets. I'm anxious to hear what she has to say.

_I had sex with Tori._

WHAT?

Now I'm shocked.

_Yeah, I did. I'm sure you wanna know how my fingers crept into her jeans, underneath the waistband of her panties, and.._

_I'm not gonna tell you, you perverts._

_Tori, your name is on this list because you owe me all the things you stole from me. Every little thing._

_But don't worry, I'll get it all, and you'll lose what you don't deserve._

_Guess I'll see you in hell._

_Who's next on this list of confessions? At least, it seems like a list of confessions. It's not, though._

_Let's see.._

_Andre Harris._

Her voice disappears. I'm sitting there frozen.

Jade and Tori?

How - What - When..

Too many questions.

I take in a painful breath of air, my heart aching. Just hearing Jade's voice makes me miss her. I want her back. I really do.

I take the tape out and turn it over, then put it back in.

It takes me a few seconds before I push the Play button.


	3. Andre

_Andre, like Tori, your name is on this list because you stole something of mine._

_Well, you kind of stole it. See, I wrote it, and you took the credit._

_Kind of like that jerk who took credit for the play Beck wrote._

Through my pain, I smile softly, remembering the whole deal with Dale Squires. God, this is making me miss Jade.

_I came to your house late one night, because I wanted to show you the song I wrote for Beck._

_I wanted your criticism, because you can write songs that will eventually become famous. Obviously._

_But what did you do?_

_You took my song, changed some of the lyrics, put it in a contest, and won the contest._

_Did you know it hurt?_

_Tell me, Andre.. what's one of the most valuable items in your possession?_

_How would you like it if I took it and sold it?_

_..Didn't think so._

A small tear escapes my eye. If only Jade could have told me these things. I would've helped her. I would've sworn my life away to help her in any possible way.

_If you're following the map, go to C-25. The stadium where each song was being performed for a bunch of judges._

_I came to that, and I sat where you couldn't see me, and I watched as you performed my song. I watched as you took the credit, got the money, hell, you even got a chance to record it._

_And you did. Not too long after that, I heard it on the radio._

I never knew Andre was this much of a jerk. I couldn't even dream it up, even if I wanted to.

But I trusted Jade more than anyone else. Because I loved her. So, with a heavy heart, I continued on.

_All these other songs you've "written"; have you actually written them? Or have you just stolen them from some innocent person who deserves all the credit?_

_Now that I think of it, Andre, you don't deserve any of it. You deserve to be kicked out of Hollywood Arts, that's what you deserve. They don't accept plagiarism. _

_I was even desperate enough to try to stop you._

She laughs, another cold, bitter laugh, very similar to the one I heard when she was first announcing her plans with these tapes.

_Obviously, it didn't work. You let me, you never pushed me away. But you continued to take the credit._

_Andre.._

_My song gave you fame. Soon enough, you're going to be a famous songwriter._

_But it's too bad they don't have a title like "songstealer."_

_This is your warning.. if you don't pass these tapes along, they will be released. And all your fame will slip out of your hands, because of one tiny decision._

_Choose wisely._

The edge, the ice in her voice, it scares me. Yet, I feel as if she's right here with me, talking to me directly, instead of speaking through an old stereo.

_What, does everyone want to know exactly how I tried to stop him?_

_Hmm._

_Let's just say it involved a room at night with the lights turned off._

_And alcohol._

_And a black thong._

_If I need to say any more, you're pretty dumb._

_But it wasn't fun._

_I'm not going to describe it, though. These tapes are PG, bordering on PG-13._

_Except for Beck's._

_But that one comes later._

I silently wonder exactly what mine is about, if it's not "PG" like she says.

_Who's the next person to play in this game?_

_Let's see.._

_Cat Valentine._


	4. Cat

**Hi :) So I haven't watched Victorious in a while, in fact I missed the majority of the third and fourth seasons. So these characters may be off quite a bit. I apologize for that; I've been busy. I'll catch up, I promise. My writing style may be quite different, as well, since I last updated about a year and a half ago... :P**

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><p>The tape ends with a buzz and a soft click, shaking me out of my thoughts with the loud silence that fills the room. I pop the first tape out of the old stereo and pop the second one in, on the side labeled '3.' Cat. What could Cat possibly do?<p>

She was so innocent and sweet. What dark secrets could she be hiding under that innocent surface? The crackle of the tape starting and the sudden sound of Jade's voice brings me back to reality.

_Cat. Oh, sweet, sweet Cat._

_I know what everyone hearing this is thinking. They're thinking, "You're lying, Jade. Cat's too innocent, she doesn't deserve a spot on your tapes." If you knew her as I knew her, you would know that I'm not lying._

_Cat, you had so many things going on under the surface. Your bubbly, happy personality just covered up the problems you were having at home._

_I sympathize with you. I understand what you're going through._

_But what you're going through didn't give you permission to take one of my secrets and throw it to anyone who asked for it to cover up your secrets._

Cat had dark secrets? We all knew that her brother was... well, a bit off, but we never suspected anything else. Leave it to Jade to get under the surface of everyone and find out their secrets. Typical Jade. I bite my lip to keep from chuckling.

_If any of you are actually going to each place, check out B-45 on the map. My house._

_Cat, one day you showed up at my house with a sleeping bag and a bag full of assorted oddities. I looked at you strangely and you proclaimed we were having a sleepover, then you marched right past me into my house._

_I didn't stop you. I shut the front door and followed you as you climbed up the stairs, seemingly already knowing where my room was._

_Cat, on that night, I told you one of my biggest secrets. Yes, I know I have a lot of secrets. Maybe that's why you felt the right to give that secret away._

_I told you about my father and how he hurt me, how he abused me on a regular basis._

_Your eyes went wide, and you looked frightened, but you swore to keep the confession a secret, and you nodded your agreement when I told you I would cut your heart out with my scissors if you ever told a single soul._

I have to keep from chuckling again because of the wording. Such typical Jade, it makes me miss her even more, and I suddenly long for her to be back in my arms, back at home where she belongs.

But she's gone, now an angel probably looking over me.

Or cutting Cat's heart out.

Well, there are two kinds of people.

_That was before Tori took you away from me, but still, you were one of the few people who got a smile out of me._

_A very, very, VERY small smile, but a smile nonetheless._

_Because you were frightened._

_Fast-forward a few weeks. I noticed you were getting skinnier, and skinnier, and skinnier. I didn't say a word, did I? I didn't tell anyone when you told me why. I told you I wouldn't tell._

_I keep my promises like a good girl._

_You, on the other hand, well..._

_Your life was spiraling out of control. I could see that; I could see that the smile wasn't reflected in your eyes, that you looked like you might break down at every corner._

_I tried to help._

_You refused my help, and then what did you do?_

_You gave away my secret. You told everyone that my dad had been abusing me, told everyone that "I was too proud" to show the signs._

_I'll never forgive you for that, Cat. I was almost pulled out of Hollywood Arts and almost put in foster homes._

_When the police came to my house to see if I was telling the truth, my parents said I was just a stupid girl seeking attention._

_My dad beat me twice as hard that night, left me bleeding and bruised and broken._

_I didn't cry. I don't cry. Jade West never cries._

That was false; I'd seen her cry, just once, when she broke down in my arms after a particularly hard night with her father. Yes, I knew about that. But she wanted me to keep it a secret, and I didn't want to lose her, so I did.

_That was the night I truly became broken._

_Some people might think I was already broken; that I was twisted, sick, demented, insane._

_That night was all it took for the tables to turn and for me to plunge into the dark side._

_I'm not sure what to say._

_Thank you?_

_Fuck you?_

_Doesn't matter, I'll be dead by the time you hear this._

She pauses, and her voice sounds breathy, weak, like she might start crying. I get an urge to hug her, but when I turn, she's not there. It startles me, and I jolt, before a wave of sadness washes over me as I remember that she's dead. She committed suicide.

_Who's next on this lovely little list of people? Who will be lucky convict number four?_

I hear shuffling, like she's flipping through pages, records of people who have caused her to do this and what they did, perhaps.

_Robbie Shapiro. You're next._

The tape continues for a little bit, though her voice is absent, ending with a soft click.

Lucky convict number four.


	5. Robbie

**It's been a long time, I know. I stopped writing for a while because I was experiencing writer's block, as well as a lack of time to write, and some personal problems. My updates will probably be sporadic, since I'm still lacking some inspiration, but I do have more time to write. Also, check out the poll on my profile if you're enjoying this story.**

**WARNING: There is a subject in this chapter that is sexually orientated and can be very triggering to some, and it may make others uncomfortable. Read carefully.**

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><p>I sit for a few moments before I pop the tape out, just thinking.<p>

I had never known. We had never known, all the problems that Cat had been hiding with a bright smile and a bubbly laugh.

But she was only third on the list. Whoever had gotten these tapes before I did, as well as Tori and Andre, who were listed before Cat, now knew.

And anyone after me on the list would know, if I choose to pass these tapes along.

Part of me doesn't want to, but part of me knows I need to. The people who had hurt Jade need to know how much pain they had caused her, enough to make her take her own life.

But the thought that I had somehow played a part in this, that I had also caused her to take her own life, weighs heavily on me.

I could only continue to listen.

I pop the tape out and flip it to the other side, where the number four is marked. Robbie.

I push it back in and close the panel, pressing play.

There's a soft whirring before Jade's voice can be heard, speaking softly. Her voice no longer seems breathy and weak, but seems to have an amused lilt to it. She must have taken a break before continuing. She wouldn't want anyone to hear her cry.

_Oh, Robbie._

_I'm sure you're aware that no one thinks very highly of you. Or, they didn't when I was alive. I'm not sure if you'll suddenly become popular after I'm gone. Probably not, but it's good to keep an open mind._

_No one except for Cat, although she's a whole different story entirely._

_But you were blind to that, weren't you? You couldn't tell how Cat felt about you, even though it was unbearably obvious to everyone else._

_It was quite odd, though, because we all knew how much you liked Cat. Vega even told me about those odd Cat standees you had. Who knows where you got them or what you used them for, but I'll never know why you never got the courage to tell Cat how you felt._

_Well, maybe you've told her now, although I'm not sure she'd want to be with you now, knowing what you've done._

_Perhaps it's just lucky it wasn't her. It would have broken her completely._

She pauses, and my mind is spinning. What had Robbie done? I have to know.

_Open up your map and find D-23. This is probably a very familiar place to some of you._

_Robbie's house._

I swallow nervously. This can't be good.

_Robbie, we were paired together on a music project. I thought it would be pretty easy, you with your guitar, me with my singing. It wouldn't take us long to finish it, and I wanted to get it over with._

_So when you suggested I come to your house so we could write the song, I accepted. I thought nothing of it, although I wasn't really looking forward to spending my night at your house. But I thought it couldn't take more than a few hours, I could stop by my boyfriend's place afterwards and spend the night with him. That would be nice._

Me. I still remember that, her calling me and complaining about having to work with Robbie. But I told her everything would be fine, and that when she came over we could spend the night watching her favorite movies, no matter how bloody and graphic. She was delighted.

But she had never come over. She had called me at four in the morning after that, voice shaky, telling me she wouldn't be able to make it.

I've always wondered what happened, but I never asked. Maybe now I would find out.

_I arrived at his house at 6 PM on a Friday night. His house was awfully quiet, and he told me his parents were away for the weekend. That was fine, I didn't want to deal with his parents if they were anything like him._

_We went to his room, which was surprisingly less geeky than some of you have described it. Maybe it was just for that one night, for that occasion. But there were no geeky posters up, no video game or video game consoles lying about, and no Rex._

_Just a plain, boring room._

_We actually worked for a few hours, and the song was almost finished at 9 PM. But you started getting other ideas. You just started talking to me, about anything that wasn't the song. I was annoyed, but I thought that eventually, you would get tired of talking about other things, and you would want to finish the song._

_I was wrong._

_You kept talking and talking and talking. Eventually, I noticed you getting closer to me. Not emotionally, but literally. I saw you slowly moving your chair closer to mine. But I didn't do anything about it. I pretended like I didn't notice._

_That was a mistake. You noticed I didn't do anything, so you thought I didn't mind._

_But you were wrong._

I press pause, needing a moment to collect my thoughts. I can tell where this is going, and it's making me sick to my stomach. I feel nauseated.

I'm never speaking to Robbie again, I know it.

I take a deep breath and press play.

_You got bolder, and you touched me. You laid your hand very lightly on my knee. I glared at you, but I didn't say anything in regards to it. And I guess you thought that meant I was okay with it. You probably thought that was just 'typical Jade behavior'._

_I was wearing a skirt, so your hand was on my bare knee._

_Your hand moved higher, creeping up my leg, resting on my inner thigh._

_I told you 'Watch it, Shapiro'. That was my version of a no. And if I had had my scissors, I would have taken them out at that moment. Maybe that would have saved me. But I didn't have them, on account of an agreement with someone to give up my weapons to try and be less violent._

_You know who you are, but it's not your fault, I promise._

I know she's talking about me. I had told her she needed to give up her weapons after an incident at Hollywood Arts in which she had actually stabbed someone with a sharp pair of scissors.

But now, I wish I had never made her give up her weapons. Maybe she would still be here, and I wouldn't have to listen to these painful, sickening messages.

_Robbie, I don't know why you did what you did after that. Maybe you were desperate, maybe you were crazy. But I hope you never do that again, and I hope that every night, when you sleep, you think of what you did, how you killed a girl._

She pauses, voice wavering. It's a few minutes before her voice appears again, startling me slightly.

_I guess I'll go on. Hey, maybe someone will take this specific tape to the police, and Robbie will end up where he belongs._

_If anyone does that, make sure this tape gets through all thirteen people before you take it to the police, because after that, there's no going back._

_Now, let's continue, shall we?_

_I wasn't wearing shorts under my skirt. I didn't think I needed to._

_I wore panties under that skirt. Black panties, for all you perverts out there who need a mental picture._

_Robbie, your hand crept even higher, underneath my skirt, until your fingers were touching my panties. I told you to stop. If I had had my scissors, I would have gotten them out, and I would have fought you with them. But I didn't have them._

_And you didn't stop. So I tried to move. I tried to get up, and you grabbed me, and you stopped me._

_I fought back, but maybe it was because I was tired, and some part of me was shocked that you would try that, but you overpowered me._

_You shoved me down on your bed, and you ripped my clothes off, and -_

I pause the tape, feeling nausea overcome me, feeling bile rise up in my throat. I close my eyes, trying to force it back down.

How dare he do that to her.

I'm not even sure if I want to continue, but I do anyway.

I press play.

_- you violated me, Robbie._

_Over, and over, and over again, until I was bruised and bleeding and disgusting. For hours on end, you touched me, even when I told you no, when I told you to stop, when I yelled at you to get off me and threatened to kill you._

_It wasn't even until almost four in the morning that you got tired, and you fell asleep._

_I contemplated killing you, while you laid there asleep, did you know that?_

_I laid there next to you, feeling my body ache and blood seep out from between my legs, knowing that I could just go to the kitchen, get a knife, and kill you._

_But I like to think I'm a better person than that._

_So I just got up, put on my ripped, dirty clothes, and struggled to get home._

_Before now, I only told one person you had done that, but they didn't care. They didn't believe me._

_But now, I hope you and the twelve others on this tape care, and believe me._

_I hope you end up where you belong, Robbie, so you can't do that to anyone else._

_And I am thankful that you didn't do that to Cat. We all know it would have devastated her._

There is silence. For a while, I believe that the tape has finished, so I sit, fighting the urge to find Robbie and kill him myself. No one, especially not Jade, deserves that.

But then I hear her voice again.

_This event also relates to the thirteenth person on the list, so lucky number thirteen, stay tuned._

_Number five... who's next?_

_Oh, yes. The untalented one._

_Trina Vega._


End file.
